On 25 June 2026, Air India launched India’s first Hub-and-Spoke international flight service, called Easy Connect, from Varanasi. The service was inaugurated by Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu. It aims to make international travel easier for passengers from Tier-II and Tier-III cities.
The first Easy Connect flight (AI1111) departed from Varanasi and connected passengers to international destinations including Dubai, Colombo, Jeddah, Riyadh, Kathmandu, and Phuket through Delhi. The new system is expected to reduce travel time, improve passenger convenience, ease congestion at major airports, and strengthen regional airports. Air India plans to expand the service to several more Indian cities in the coming months.
What is the Hub-and-Spoke Model?
Under the Hub-and-Spoke model, passengers complete check-in, immigration, and customs clearance at their home airport before boarding a domestic flight to a major hub such as Delhi, Mumbai, or Bengaluru. After reaching the hub airport, they can directly board their international flight without repeating immigration or customs formalities.
